driven by medical experts!

Contact Form

Sexologist Blog

Can We Use Vaseline as a Lube?

June, 2019

Vaseline is a high-quality petroleum jelly which is very useful and definitely has its place in your medicine cabinet, but it is not recommended to use as a sexual lubricant as it is not designed for sexual use.

Vaseline is a soft and semi-liquid mixture of hydrocarbons which is white, transparent and mostly used for moisturizing of the skin, also can be applied over body parts if become wounded or cut.

It makes a thin transparent layer over the skin forming a barrier to lock in moisture to support the skin’s healing process, but it is not meant for your vagina or vulva.

Why it can’t be used as a lubricant:

It doesn’t dissolve in water: Petroleum jelly is hardly absorbed into the body. It stays on the tissue of vulva and on the walls of the vagina. And because it is water repellent it never gets dissolved in water, therefore you may not completely remove it from the part of the body it is applied on. It blocks the pores of the skin of the vaginal wall and the vulva, making small lumps that may become infected.

It may increase your risk of infection: different studies relate petroleum jelly with the growth of yeast that causes severe infections. A connection between petroleum jelly to bacterial vaginosis and pelvic inflammatory disease has also been found, making it unsuitable as a lube

Incompatible with condoms: If you’re planning to use latex or polyurethane condoms, you can’t use Vaseline. Petroleum jelly is incompatible with latex products and it will weaken these types of condoms. The condom may break or tear during sex and can lead to unintended pregnancy or STIs.

Vaseline is messy: The jelly may stain sheets or clothing with oily spots. If you are planning to use Vaseline as a lube, take care for your sheets or any other fabrics you may come in contact with to prevent stains.